Improvement in stair-rod fastenings



c. IE.` STEARN s. 'Stair-Rod Fastenings.

f Jaz 'INE GRAPHIGCO. PHOTO LTH.39& l PARK PLACE N.Y.

UNITED STATES CHARLES E. STEARNS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PATENT OFFICE.,

IMPROVEMENT IN sTAlR-Ron FAsTENlNes.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,626, dated October 6, 1874; application filed April 29, 1874.

CAsE B.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. STEAENs, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Fastening for Stair-Rods, of which the following is a full, clear, and'eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a portion of a stair-ease, representing the carpet held in place thereon by a stair-rod secured by my improved fastening. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the center of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my fastener detached.

To provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective fastening for stair-rods is the object of my invention, which consists in a bent slotted plate, in combination with a dat slotted plate pivoted thereto, so constructed and arranged that the end of the rod may be readily entered, when it may be securely locked in place by simply swinging the pivoted plate over it, theend of the rod being depressed, and the said plate' thrown back to admit of the removal of the rod, when desired.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, ais a stair-carpet, held in place by a rod, b, placed upon and extending across the carpet in the direction of its width at the junction of the tread c of one stair, A, and the riser d of the contiguous stair B. At one side ofthe carpet is secured to the stair A a bent plate, e, which is turned up, as

seen in Fig. 2, the .portion 5 so turned up being provided with a circular opening, into which is inserted a pin, h, projecting out from the center of one end of the rod. is a plate, the bottom 6 of which is secured to the stair Aat the opposite side of the carpet by screws 7, the upper portion 8 of the plate being bent up at, or nearly at, right angles to its bottom 6, and being provided with a vertical slot, k, opening out to the edge of the upright portion 8, in which it is formed. On the inside of this upright portion of the plate i is pivoted at 9 a fiat plate, l, provided with a slot, m, of the form seen in Fig. 3, and with a projection, 10, for convenience of applying the iingers thereto, when the said iiat plate is to be swung either way forward or back.

When the iiat platet' is thrown into the position seen in Fig. 3, so as to open communication with the upper end of the slot k in the bent plate t', a pin, 12, projecting from the end of the rod not secured, is placed therein, and slightly pressed down, simultaneously with which the finger is applied to the projection,

10, and the Hat plate l swung over, thus closing the top of the slot lc, and on withdrawing the pressure on this end of the rod the pin 12 will be sprung up by the elasticity of the rod against the under side of the slot m, which assumed a position vertical, or nearly so, when swung over, as seen in Fig. 2, whereby the end of the rod is securely locked in place, and the liability of its becoming accidentallydisplaced, incident to most of the fastenin gs now in use, is avoided.

Should it be desired to remove the rod for the vpurpose of taking up the carpet, it is simply necessary to apply a pressure downward on the end of the rod, and at the same time swing the iiat slotted plate over, so as to open communication with the slot 7c, when the end of the rod may be readily lifted up, as desired.

My improved stair-rod fastening is of simple construction, may be readily applied to a stair, and can be operated so as to coniine or release the rod in an extremely convenient manner.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improvement in stair-rod fasteners, the slotted plate i, bent up at right angles, in combination with the flat slotted plate l, pivoted thereto, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 22d day of April, A. D. 1874.

' CHARLES E. STEARNS.

N. W. STEARNs, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

